Today is Monday, April 13, the 103rd day of 2009. There are 262 days left in the year.
1204 _ Crusaders occupy Constantinople
1598 _ Edict of Nantes grants political rights to French Huguenots
1668 _ John Dryden (36) becomes first English poet laureate
1742 _ George Frederic Hendel's ``Messiah" performed for first time (Dublin)
1869 _ Steam power brake patented (George Westinghouse)
1924 _ Greek plebiscite for a republic
1933 _ First flight over Mt. Everest (Lord Clydesdale)
1960 _ France becomes the fourth nuclear nation exploding an A-Bomb in Sahara
1961 _ U.N. General Assembly condemns South Africa for apartheid
1987 _ Portugal signs agreement to return Macau to China (in 1999)